Until this picture, Bing Crosby had been playing cliched light comedy roles that made him popular but did nothing to show his acting talent. Here he was able to present another side of his character and audiences loved it. Joe Beebe (Crosby) is a 35-year-old wastrel who spends most of
his time concocting plans to make money without toil. His mother (Elizabeth...read more

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Until this picture, Bing Crosby had been playing cliched light comedy roles that made him popular but did nothing to show his acting talent. Here he was able to present another side of his character and audiences loved it. Joe Beebe (Crosby) is a 35-year-old wastrel who spends most of

his time concocting plans to make money without toil. His mother (Elizabeth Patterson) wishes he would be more like his brother David (Fred MacMurray), a hardworking garage mechanic. Mom also wants Joe to set a better example for her youngest son, 13-year-old Mike (Donald O'Connor, in only his

second film role). The three brothers, all musicians, make a few extra bucks working at a small nightclub, but Joe, not content with barely squeezing out an existence, leaves for Los Angeles. He promises his poor but loving family that as soon as he gets a good job he'll send them money for the

fare. Time passes and Mom hears from Joe that he's now in a new business and doing well. That's encouragement enough for her to sell the family home and go to Los Angeles--only to find that Joe has purchased a racehorse, and is hardly prosperous. They scrape by on almost nothing, and little Mike

is pressed into service as a jockey for the Big Race that rounds off the film with a big finish.

Review: Until this picture, Bing Crosby had been playing cliched light comedy roles that made him popular but did nothing to show his acting talent. Here he was able to present another side of his character and audiences loved it. Joe Beebe (Crosby) is a 35-year-o… (more)